KAET
KAET is a full-service television station in Phoenix, Arizona, owned by the Arizona Board of Regents and operated by Arizona State University (ASU) as a PBS member station. It broadcasts in digital on VHF channel 8 in the Phoenix metropolitan area from its transmitter on South Mountain. KAET can be viewed by approximately 80% of the households across the state through a network of over fifteen translators, or through cable and home satellite delivery systems. The station originates from Stauffer Hall on the Tempe campus of ASU, but is scheduled to relocate to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication building at ASU Downtown Phoenix in 2009. History KAET was launched on January 30, 1961 as an affiliate for NET . Its programming originally consisted of educational programming directed at students attending ASU, but its focus eventually widened along with that of PBS. In the mid-1990s, when the Phoenix market was undergoing a significant realignment of network affiliations "Historical Timeline" on www.kpho.com, retrieved September 24,2009"Murdoch's Raid Brings a Shuffling of TV Stations in Phoenix" on www.nytimes.com, retrieved September 24, 2009 KAET was one of two major English-language stations (the other being KPNX) that did not change. In June 1999, KAET was issued a permit to construct digital television facilities on UHF channel 29. KAET-DT went on the air in April 2001 and was licensed on June 12, 2001, becoming the fifth licensed digital television station in Arizona. In 2006, the station underwent a major rebranding campaign, which saw the end of the long-used "Channel 8" on-air identity. The station moniker, now known as Eight, Arizona PBS revives the "ei8ht" logo concept originally used by stations like KFMB-TV in San Diego, WJW in Cleveland and WMTW in Portland, Maine. The official website of the station identifies the station as "Eight/KAET". The moniker, when spoken, is also similar to Five in the United Kingdom. KAET today KAET consistently remains one of the most-viewed PBS stations, per capita, in the nation. More than two-thirds of the station's funding comes from its members. The station advertises its close association with ASU, identifying as "a service of Arizona State University", along with the inclusion of the ASU name on the bottom of the station "bug" logo. Financial Crisis Due to the effects from the Late 2000s Recession, fundraising efforts at KAET has consistently fallen behind projections, resulting in two major rounds of layoffs. The first round came in late October 2008, when the station, having missed its fundraising targets by hundreds of thousands of dollars, had to layoff 6 workers. The second round of layoffs came in April of 2009, when 13 workers were laid off. The financial crisis has also delayed KAET's move to its new headquarters in Downtown Phoenix. Programming Eight produces several of its programs in-house. It is well known for its current events program, Horizon, its Hispanic-focused current events counterpart, Horizonte, and its Arizona Collection documentaries about the people, places and history of the state. The Emmy Award-winning Over Arizona, produced in 1995 with KCTS (Seattle), is an aerial adventure over Arizona's diverse landscapes and was the first high-definition television program produced by an Arizona broadcast entity. Digital television KAET-DT has been on-air since 2001 on channel 29 and carries four subchannels, under the Eight Digital Broadcasting brand. On April 29, 2009 KAET completed the analog television shutdown and digital conversion and moved its digital broadcast to channel 8. Station names and slogans over the years * KAET TV-8: Arizona's Very Own Public Station (1970s) * KAET TV-8: TV Worth Watching (1980s) * KAET TV-8: Turn to Us (Early 1990s) * KAET Channel 8, Phoenix: The Station You Support (Until 2000s) * KAET Channel 8: Programs You Count On -- Count On You! (Until 2005) * Channel 8, Arizona PBS (2005-2006) * Eight is more than just a number (2006) * Eight, Arizona PBS (2006-present) * Eight is a service of Arizona State University supported by viewers like you. (2006-present) * Eight is program genre here (2006-present) Translators KAET is rebroadcast on a network of more than fifteen translator stations: References External links * PBS website * KAET website * * *